The accounting function of John Company’s Cape of Good Hope factory 1812–1813, during the second British occupation of the Cape colony – observations and comments

Abstract

This paper reviews and makes observations on the accounting functions of the Cape of Good Hope factory of the English East India Company during the period 1812–1813. In particular, the accounting records maintained by the Cape factory are examined. By examining the requirements for an enterprise to be vie wed as a multinational corporation, it is shown that the English East India Company can be classified as a forerunner of the modem multinational corporation. The functioning of a selected aspect of the English East India Company is examined which, it is argued, contributed to the demise of the corporation as a trading concern.

Key words:

• John Company
• branch accounting
• accounting history
• Cape colony
• Cape of Good Hope factory
• foreign operation
• rix-dollar
• John Pringle
• English East India Company
• Foreign exchange